Great Battles of Alexander - Manual

7/25/2019 Great Battles of Alexander - Manual

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Great Batt les of Alexander

Manual

Copyright 1997Interactive Magic


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Copyright Notice

Copyright 1997 by Interactive Magic, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Great Battles of Alexanderfor Windows 95 is under license by GSE Erudite

Software, Inc., from GMT Games and is based on the original board gameTheGreat Battles of Alexander, Deluxe Edit ion.

This manual and the computer programs on the accompanying CD-ROM are

copyrighted and contain proprietary information. No one may give or sell cop-

ies of this manual or the accompanying CD or other works of Interactive Magic,

Inc., to any person or institution, except as provided for by written agreement

with the copyright holder. Disassembly, reverse compilation, and any other

form of reverse engineering of the programs on the CD are unauthorized. No

one may copy, photocopy, reproduce, translate this manual, or reduce it to

machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without prior written consent ofthe copyright holder. Any person/persons reproducing any portion of this pro-

gram, in any media, for any reason, shall be guilty of copyright violation and

criminal liability as provided by law, and shall be subject to civil liability at the

discretion of the copyright holder.

Limited Warranty

Interactive Magic warrants that the CD-ROM on which the enclosed program is

recorded will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of

60 days from the date of purchase. If within 60 days of purchase the CD proves

defective in any way, you may return the CD to Interactive Magic, 215 South-

port Drive, Suite 1000, Morrisville, NC, 27560, and Interactive Magic will

replace the disk free of charge.

INTERACTIVE MAGIC MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS

OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE CD OR THE SOFTWARE PROGRAM

RECORDED ON THE CD OR THE GAME DESCRIBED IN THIS MANUAL,

THEIR QUALITY, PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR

ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE PROGRAM AND GAME ARE SOLD AS IS.

THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THEIR QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE IS WITH THEBUYER. IN NO EVENT WILL INTERACTIVE MAGIC BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT,

INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING

FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE CD, PROGRAM, OR GAME EVEN IF INTERAC-

TIVE MAGIC HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

(SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF

IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUEN-

TIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT

APPLY TO YOU.)


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What to Do If You Have a Defective CD

Should you have a defective CD, please return the CD only (keep all other parts

of the game) to our Customer Support Department, along with a note describ-

ing the problem you have encountered. A replacement CD will be provided

upon our receipt of the defective CD.

Always make sure to include your name, address, and daytime telephone num-

ber with any correspondence.

Questions or Problems

If you have difficulties with this game and cannot find the solution in this

booklet, please call our Technical Support Line at (919) 461-0948, 9 a.m. to

9 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, and a member of our support staff will

assist you. We will be best able to help you if you are at your computer when

you call.

You can also obtain customer service online. We can be reached as follows:

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://www.imagicgames.com

Interactive Magic and the Interactive Magic logo are trademarks of Interactive

Magic, Inc. All other companies or products mentioned herein are the property

of, and may be trademarks of, their respective owners.


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Contents

Introduction 9

Getting Started 11

System Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Modem Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Quickstart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Moving Units, Performing Missile Volley & Shock Combat. . . . . . 16

Moving Single/Double-Sized Units,Performing Missile Volley & Finishing a Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Beginning a Game 21

Starting a New Battle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Starting a New Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Loading a Saved Game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Multiplayer Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Playing over a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Playing as an Online Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Setting up Modem Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Player Chat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chat Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

View Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27


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Contents

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Using the Interface 29

Toolbar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Game Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Leader Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Unit Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Map Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Window Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Landscape View Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Overview Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Status Bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Running Commentary Window. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Playing the Game 37

Play Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Elite Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Sequence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Game Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Game Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Leaders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Leader Phases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Active Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Ordering Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Group Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Momentum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Finishing Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Wounding or Killing a Leader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Moving Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Reaction Fire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Orderly Withdrawal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Facing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Rotate Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Double-Sized Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47


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Missile Volley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Engaging Units in Shock Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Shock Combat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Designating Shock Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51TQ Check before Shock Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Combat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Unit Rout & Rally. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Unit Advance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Army Withdrawal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Rout Points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Cohesion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Zone of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Terrain Effects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Unit & Leader Details 63

Combat Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Artillery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chariots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Elephants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Heavy Cavalry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Heavy Infantry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Lancers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Light Cavalry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Light Infantry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Medium Infantry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Skirmishers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Leaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

Combat Tables 81

Shock Superiority. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Initial Clash of Spears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Size Ratio Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Shock Combat Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Terrain Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86


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Battle Scenarios& Victory Conditions 87

Chaeronea (338 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Lyginus (335 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Pelium (335 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Granicus (334 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Issus (333 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Gaugamela (331 BC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Jaxartes (329 BC). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Samarkand (329/328 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Arigaeum (327 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Hydaspes (326 BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Hints on Play 95

Overall Tactical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Specific Tactical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Additional Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Campaign Game 97

Credits 101

Index 103


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Introduction

TheGreat Batt les of Alexanderportrays the development of the Mace-donian art of war, as originally formulated by Philip II, King of Mace-don. It reached its peak during the reign of his son, Alexander III, whobecame known as Alexander the Great after his conquest of the PersianEmpire.

This online simulation covers almost every battle fought by Alexanderand his army before and during his conquest of the known Westerncivilized world. The battles illustrate the triumph of the Macedonian

system of combined armsled by a powerful heavy cavalry andanchored by a relentless phalanx of spearsfirst over a Greek hoplitesystem that had been in place for centuries, and then to its ultimatefruition against the massive, but often outdated, light armies of thePersian Empire.

While not an overly difficult game to learn or understand, the GreatBattles of Alexander uses a tactical system that rewards those who knowwhat their soldiers can do and how to exploit the capabilities of even

the worst of them. If you calmly blunder into battle with a lets seewhat happens here attitude, you will be carried home on your shieldin a remarkably short time.

Because of the unusual nature of this era of warfare and the specializedcapabilities of the various units, we suggest that playerseven thosequite familiar with simulation gaminggo through the Quickstarttutorial. The tutorial explains various tactical strategies, how to use thedifferent types of weapons systems, and how to protect yourself against

them. It was Alexanders genius that he could combine all of theseaspects; it is your challenge to see if you can equalor even bestAlexanders performance.

Remember: Watch your flanks.


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Introduction

10


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Getting Started

System RequirementsTo run theGreat Battles of Alexander,you need the following minimumsystem configuration:

486DX 100 MHz processor (Pentium 100 or better recommended)

16 megabytes RAM

30 megabytes free hard disk space, plus space in the Windows swapfile. The requirements are based the amount of RAM your machine

has:

16 megabytes of RAM: 80 megabytes of swap space



NOTE: These amounts are upper limits and are only necessary whenplaying the largest battles, such as Gaugamela, and when theanimations are checked in the preferences.

Windows 95

SVGA or better video card

Double-speed CD-ROM drive

Mouse and driver

Sound card

We recommend that players running machines at the lower end ofthese specifications turn off the animation options when playing the

larger battles, such as Gaugamela.


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Getti ng Started

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InstallationYou must install theGreat Batt les of Alexanderon your hard drive. Youcannot play the game directly from the CD-ROM.

There are three options for installation: Minimum, Normal, and Full.All installations run the game well, but the more information you storeon your hard drive, the faster the game will run.

TheGreat Battles of Alexanderis designed for Windows 95 and featuresan AutoPlay-enabled CD-ROM. AutoPlay simplifies installation ofmultimedia and gaming titles under Windows 95 by providing instantaccess to the most common options for a particular problem. An instal-

lation menu is displayed to guide you through the installation process.If you prefer, you can install theGreat Batt les of Alexandermanually.Select theStarticon, then Settings,thenControl Panel.In the ControlPanel window, double-click the Add/Remove Programsicon.

In the Install/Uninstall window, click Install.Insert the game CD intothe CD-ROM drive. Click Finish.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Modem SetupTo play multiplayer games via modem, you will need to make sure thatyour modem is installed properly and then configure certain optionalsettings for optimum performance. If necessary, connect and configureyour modem following the manufacturers instructions or the Win-dows 95 documentation.

Once you have configured your modem, you need to turn off data com-

pression to ensure smooth play.

You can change these settings using the Control Panel.

NOTE: If you want to initiate a modem-based network game, you

mustuse the Control Panel to change these settings.

To change your data compression settings, follow these instructions:

1. Open the Control Panel.

To do this, click the Windows 95 Startbutton, then select Settings,

thenControl Panel.


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Great Batt les of Alexander M anual

13

2. Double-clickModemsto displaythe Modem Properties window.

3. Select the modem whose settings

you want to change.4. Click the Propertiesbutton to

display the Properties window forthe selected modem.

NOTE: You can also display thiswindow via the Great Battles ofAlexander modem dialing window.

5. Select theConnectiontab.

6. Select theAdvancedbutton.

7. Make sure thatCompress datais notchecked.

8. SelectHardwarefor flow control.The hardware control is usuallythe default.

9. SelectOKto return to the

Properties window and apply thenew settings.

10. If the phone line quality is poor,your modem may not be able toestablish a stable connection. Ifthis happens, re-instate the Useerror controlcheck mark, but besure to disable (remove the check mark) for data compression.


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Getti ng Started

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QuickstartThe Quickstart tutorial takes you through one round of the battlePelium and shows you the basics of moving your units and preparingthem for battle.

To start the tutorial, follow these steps:

1. From the opening window, select the Start Batt lebutton. TheChoose Scenario dialog box is displayed with a map showing allof Alexanders battle sites.

2. From the Choose Scenario dialog box, click on the battle namePelium.A brief description of the battle is displayed below the

map.3. Click OK.The battle of Pelium is loaded, and the Leader Control

dialog box is displayed.

4. In this tutorial, you control the Macedonian armies and thecomputer controls the Danubians. Leave the Leader Controldialog box as it is displayed, and click OK.The Army Rout levelbox is displayed. Leave the settings as they are and click OK.

5. The Elite Initiative dialog box is displayed. In the battle of Pelium,Alexander is the only Macedonian leader; therefore, you do notneed to choose which Macedonian leader begins the turn. Leavethe Elite Initiative dialog box as it is and click OK.The Battle ofPelium begins.

The Running Commentary window is displayed in the bottom rightcorner, giving you instant results of reaction fire, missile volley, shockcombat, and routed units. You can leave this window open to see whatis occurring or toggle theShow Commentarymenu choice in theWindowmenu.

The map opens with the first active leader and his troops centered inthe window, their flags raised and waving, and the leaders commandrange highlighted. For this tutorial, your leader, Alexander, is centeredin the window.

To see the battlefield from several different perspectives,use thezoom buttons in the toolbar (see page 29). These buttons show the

battlefield in three different views: zoom in, normal, and zoom out.The battlefield opens in normal view. You can choose any view andchange it at any time. During shock combat (see page 50), the com-puter zooms in so you can see the fighting. It returns to the previouslyselected zoom after combat.


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15

The Reverse Viewbutton in the Toolbar (see page 29) rotates the view180 degrees. This capability gives you another perspective of the battleand perhaps a better view of whether your units can move and attackother units.

You can use your mouse to scroll the map.Place your cursor on awindow edge. A black arrow appears, and the computer automaticallyscrolls until it reaches the edge of the map or until you move thecursor.

TheOverview map(see page 35) in the top right corner shows theentire battlefield and armies in miniature. The rectangular viewfinderhighlights the portion shown full-size on your screen. When you move

the viewfinder anywhere on the Overview map, the highlighted area isdisplayed on the Landscape View map.

To center on the active leader(Alexander), select theCenter on Leaderbutton from the toolbar (see page 29).

The status bar at the bottom of the screen has three parts:

The left scroll,called the fly by, displays which hex number yourcursor is in. If there is a unit occupying that hex, the followinginformation is also displayed: the units name, type or class, troopquality (TQ), cohesion hits, and size. If the unit has missile capa-bility, the type of missile, total number of missiles, how many mis-siles have been fired, and missile firing range are also listed.

The middle scrollshows which leader is active, his initiative rat-ing, and number of command orders possible.

The right scrollshows which unit you have selected and some ofthe unit information found in the fly by. You can refer to this scrollby selecting a unit and comparing it against a unit in the fly by.Move your cursor over several units and leaders to see their differ-ent ratings. Also, select several units in Alexanders command rangeto see which hexes highlight; this determines where each unit isallowed to move. If wanted, click the Hex Grid On/Off buttons onthe toolbar (see page 29) to activate/deactivate the hex grid.


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Moving Units, Performing Missile Volley& Shock Combat

1. Select Paeonia 1 in hex 3918. The units statistical information is

displayed in the right scroll and in the fly by as you place yourcursor over the unit. The movement allowance of Paeonia 1 isdisplayed as highlighted hexes on the battle field.

2. Pass the cursor over the enemy units (scroll left) that are withinPaeonia 1s movement allowance, and the cursor changes to asword. The sword indicates that Paeonia 1 can shock attack thoseunits.

3. Click on Tribal 6 in hex 4223 to instruct Paeonia 1 to shock attack

them. Paeonia 1 moves next to Tribal 6, and Tribal 6 givesreaction fire. The results are displayed in the running commentarywindow. A red arrow is displayed indicating that these units aredesignated for shock combat; however, shock combat does notoccur until the active leader has finished giving his orders.

NOTE: Because your unit is performing an uphill attack, terrain (seepage 86) plays a factor in Paeonia 1s cohesiveness (see page 58).

4. Pass the cursor over Paeonia 1. The fly by shows that it is capableof missile volley because it is classified as Jav 3/3. TheMissi leVolleybutton (see page 30) is also active, indicating that the unithas missile capability.

5. Select theMissile Volleybutton. The hex that Tribal 6 occupieshighlights, indicating Paeonia 1 can perform a missile volley onthat unit. The cursor changes to a javelin when you pass it overTribal 6 because Paeonia 1 uses javelins in this type of missilevolley.

6. Click on Tribal 6 for Paeonia 1 to missile volley, and watch thejavelins release.

7. From Alexanders army, select the Agema Companions unit in hex4117. The highlighted movement allowance, along with the cursorchanging to a sword, show that Agema Companions is capable ofa shock attack against Tribal 10 in hex 4323.

8. Click on hex 4422 then 4423. Depending on who is attacking,

how far away the unit has moved, and other factors, the computermay reface Tribal 10. You then want to select theRotate Clockwisebutton, which rotates your unit to face its enemy.

Agema Companions is not capable of missile volley (no designation inthe fly by, and theMissi le Volleybutton is not active), so it can only do


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shock combat. Click on Tribal 10; red arrows indicating shock combatagainst both Tribal 10 and Tribal 9 appear. The shock combat occurswhen you have finished giving Alexanders orders. These two units arenow ready for shock combat.

Moving Single/Double-Sized Units, PerformingMissile Volley & Finishing a Leader

1. Select Companions 1 in hex 4215 and click on hex 4818. TheCompanions unit moves to the designated hex and still has somehighlighted movement allowance left. Three of these hexes arelighter than the others; they are outside of Alexanders command

range. This means that the unit can move into these hexes, but ifAlexander does not move during this or his next turn, he cannotgive orders to this unit until he moves towards it. Note thatPaeonia 1 and Agema Companions are outside Alexanderscommand range. Deselect Companions 1 by clicking on it againand scroll right.

2. Select Perdiccas 6 in hex 4213. This is a double-sized phalanxunit, and moving your cursor in the units highlighted movement

allowance shows which two-hex combinations are available formovement. Click on hex 4614 so that Perdiccas moves to hexes4615 and 4614. At this point, the middle scroll shows thatAlexander has three of seven command orders remaining. Scrollright again.

3. Macedonia 1 occupies hex 4207. Select this unit, click the RotateClockwisebutton to rotate the unit clockwise, and move the unitto hex 4707. Because this is a skirmisher unit, it is capable of

missile volley but not shock attack. Click on the Missi le Volleybutton to highlight the enemy units that Macedonia 1 can missilevolley, and select Tribal 4 in hex 5008. The results of this missilevolley appear in the Running Commentary window.

4. Crete is another skirmisher unit, in hex 4106. Select this unit,rotate it clockwise, move it to hex 4606, and designate it tomissile volley Tribal 16 in hex 4906. View the results in theRunning Commentary window.

5. With Alexanders final command order, select the Hypaspist 2unit in hex 4109 and move it to hex 4507. Alexander has nowgiven all seven of his orders, so the Finish Leader dialog boxappears. Check the Dont Show This Again box if you do not wantthis to happen again.


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6. Click the Finishbutton to finish the active leader. You may alsofinish a leader by right-clicking anywhere on the battlefield andselecting Fini sh Leader, by selecting Fini sh Leaderfrom the Leadermenu, or by clicking the

Fini sh Leaderbutton in the toolbar (see

page 29). Paeonia 1 and Agema Companions shock attack theenemy units.

When the combat is finished, the units (or what is left of them) regaintheir formation or begin to rout, and the Overall Combat Results dia-log box is displayed. When you click on the battle number, the mapcenters on that battle and the hexes involved in the combat are high-lighted. Double-click the battle number to open the Combat Resultswindow. This shows each attacking and defending unit involved inshock combat, the number of cohesion hits they haven taken duringthis conflict, the total amount of cohesion hits received, and how manycohesion hits are still needed before the unit is routed (see page 55).Click the Closebuttons to close the Combat Results window and theOverall Combat Results window.

After each leader has completed his orders, the computer automaticallyattempts to gain leader momentum (see page 42). This may give youup to two additional turns. Alexander has a high initiative rating andtherefore a high probability of gaining momentum. If you are success-ful, you want to attempt to rally (seepage 55) any of your routed units.A rally lets you regain control over the unit. It also prevents an enemyunit from attacking and eliminating a unit as it routs. Select the routedunit and click the Rally Unitbutton in the toolbar (seepage 29). If therally is successful, the unit changes facing and a number of cohesionhits are removed. If the rally fails, the unit goes into a terminal rout andheads straight to the edge of the game map.

If you have rallied all routing units and still have orders remaining,remove cohesion hits from units that have been involved in combat.Select the damaged unit and click on the Restore Cohesionbutton (seepage 32). The running commentary tells you how successful you are.

To re-order Agema Companions or Paeonia 1, you need to move Alex-ander to put them within his command range.

When you have finished giving Alexanders orders and have taken all

your turns at momentum, the computer takes over. It gives orders forall the leaders it controls, performs shock attacks, and attemptsmomentum for each leader. The Running Commentary dialog boxshows which enemy leader is active. Note how the computer placeseach unit and flanks them with other units. To get ideas for your next


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Beginning a Game

TheGreat Battles of Alexandercan be played by one person or by severalpeople over the Internet or any network that uses Winsock. You canplay a new game, a campaign game, or a previously saved game.

We recommend that you close all other applications when playing theGreat Battles of Alexander.

To increase the speed of game play, we recommend that you turn offthe animation options in the Preferences dialog box, under the Gamemenu. Regular removal of dead units from the battlefield, an optionavailable in the Unit menu, is also recommended at the larger battles,such as Gaugamela.


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Starting a New Battle1. In the Great Battles of Alexander window, click the Start Battle

button. The Choose Scenario dialog box is displayed.

2. From the battlefield map, select the battle you want to play:

3. Click the Detailsbutton to display some historical backgroundabout the battle or theUnitbutton to see a breakdown of thearmies, battle plans, and hints on play.

4. Click OK.The Leader Control dialog box is displayed.

Chaeronea (338 BC) seepage 87 Lyginus (335 BC) seepage 88

Pelium (335 BC) seepage 89

Granicus (334 BC) seepage 89

Issus (333 BC) seepage 90

Gaugamela (331 BC) seepage 91

Jaxartes (329 BC) seepage 92

Samarkand (329/328 BC) seepage 92

Arigaeum (327 BC) seepage 93

Hydaspes (326 BC) seepage 94


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5. Select the side or armies you want tocontrol and clickOK.If you want toplay a multiplayer game on a singlecomputer (hotseat play), selectPlayer vs. Playerin the LeaderControl dialog box.

6. Select one of the Difficulty Levelradio buttons (Easy, Normal, Hard,orCustom)to use preset rout levelsfor the armies. Even if you select oneof the buttons, you can still alter therout levels. In the Army Rout Levelsdialog box, select the up or downarrows (spin controls) to adjust therout level for the Macedonian andenemy armies. The higher thenumber, the more units must be terminally routed or eliminatedbefore that army loses the battle. ClickOK.When you are playingthe Macedonians, the Elite Initiative dialog box is displayed (see

page37), except at Chaeronea and Samarkand, when Alexander isnot the commander.

7. If applicable, highlight the leader you want to play first and clickOK.The Landscape View window is displayed.

8. Begin playing the game. (See also Quickstart on page 14.)


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Starting a New Campaign

NOTE: We recommend that you gain experience and knowledgefighting the single battles before you attempt a campaign game.

1. In the Great Battles of Alexander window, select the StartCampaignbutton.

2. From the Campaign Game Dialog select Battle,then follow steps68 in Starting a New Battle on page 22.

Loading a Saved Game1. In the Great Battles of

Alexander window, click theLoad Saved Gamebutton.

2. In the Load Game dialog box,highlight the description of thegame you want to load fromthe Saved Games list.

3. Click OK.


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Multiplayer PlayThe battle scenarios of theGreat Batt les of Alexandercan be played overthe Internet or on a local network with a TCP/IP stack.

Playing over a Network

1. In the Great Battles of Alexander window, choose theMultiplayerbutton. The Enter Your Name box is displayed.

2. Type your game name and click

OK.The Choose ConnectionType dialog box is displayed.

3. Select the appropriate connectiontype and clickOK.The ChooseGame to Join dialog box isdisplayed.

a. To join a game, highlight the game you want to join and clickOK.

b. To begin a new game, highlightCreate New Gameand click

OK.The Session Name dialog box is displayed. Type the newgame name or leave the default, and click OK.

4. In the Connecting Other Players dialog box, choose the battle youwant to play. To send messages to other players, type the messagein the box to the left of the Sendbutton and click Send.

5. To exclude a player, highlight the players name and click Reject.

6. Click Next.

7. Assign each player to a leader and clickOK.The Landscape View

window is displayed.

NOTE: Individual players must be assigned at least one leader tocontrol. All leaders must be assigned to players, but no leader can beassigned to more than one player.

Playing as an Online Client

Follow steps 13a in Playing over a Network.

A dialog box is displayed, displaying client information, including thebattle to be played. Using the chat box that is displayed, you can talkwith the other players.

When the player running the server has chosen which battle to playand clickedOK,a second dialog box is displayed, listing all leaders


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involved in the game. You can watch as the player on the server selectswhich leader(s) you control.

When the the server player clicksOK,the Landscape View window

opens.

Setting up Modem Play

1. In the Great Battles of Alexander window, choose theMultiplayerbutton. The Enter Your Name box is displayed.

2. Type your game name and clickOK.The Choose ConnectionType dialog box is displayed.

3. SelectModem Connecti on

in the Choose Connection Type dialogbox and clickOK.

a. If you are beginning a new game,selectCreate New Gameand click OK.In the Session Name dialog box, type the newgame name and clickOK.In the Modem Connection dialogbox, select your modem from the drop-down box and click

Answer.Go to step 5.

b. If you are connecting to an existing game,selectDial Up

Remote Gameand click OK.In the Modem Connection dialogbox, type the session hosts telephone number and select yourmodem from the drop-down box. Click Connect.

4. In the Connecting Other Players dialog box, choose the scenarioyou want to play. To send a message to other players, type themessage and clickSend.

5. If you want to exclude a player, highlight the players name andclick Reject.

6. Click Next.

7. Assign each player to a leader (or leaders) and click OK.TheLandscape View window is displayed.

Player Chat

The Player Chat box allows you to converse with other players whileplaying a network game.

To use the Player Chat box:1. Open a network (multiplayer) game. The Player Chat box

automatically appears.

2. Select one of the chat options (Friendly, Hostile, Custom)described below.


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3. Type your message on the message line and click Send.Yourplayer name and message appear in the message display.

TipsThe Player Chat box opens automatically when a message is sent toyou.

PressCtrl-Ato open and close the Player Chat box.

The message display shows all messages sent by you and to you.

TheShow Chatoption in theWindowmenu also opens and closes thePlayer Chat box.

Chat Options

FriendlySelect this radio button to send messages to your allies.

HostileSelect this radio button to send messages (or insults) toyour enemies.

CustomSelect this radio button and select a single player or acombination of players from the Players box. This allows you toconverse with a custom group.

View TutorialClick this button to display the online help for the Quickstart tutorial,which is also available on page 14of this manual.


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Using the Interface

TheGreat Batt les of Alexanderfeatures easy point-and-click operation.The toolbar displays the most commonly used options, which are alsoavailable in the menus.

Another feature of the user interface is the immediate user feedback.Combat units immediately move to their selected hexes and displaywhether they are designated for combat. As a player, you can see theresults of your leader orders and plan strategy for future combat.

All the windows are resizable and movable.

Toolbar

Open MapOpens a Landscape View map (seepage 34). More than one map can be opened,showing different areas of the same battlefield. Eachtime a new leader is activated, the active map cen-ters on that leader. You can show/hide an Overview

map on each of the Landscape View maps you haveopened.

Finish LeaderEnds the active leaders turn (seepage 42).

Center on LeaderCenters the active leader on theactive map.


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Rotate CounterclockwiseRotates the unit(changes its facing) in the hex. If the unit is double-sized, one half stays in the same hex, the other

rotates one hex forward in a counterclockwisemotion.

Rotate ClockwiseRotates the unit (changes itsfacing) in the hex. If the unit is double-sized, onehalf stays in the same hex, the other rotates one hexforward in a clockwise motion.

About FaceRotates the unit 180 degrees (avail-

able only to double-sized units; see page 47).

Missile VolleyGrayed out unless the selected unitis capable of missile volley (seepage 48). When youplace the mouse pointer over enemy units that arein range of the missile volley, the pointer changes toshow what type of volley can be thrown (arrow,bolt, javelin, or sling).

Restore CohesionAttempts to restore cohesion(see page 58) to a unit (03 hits removed). Grayedout if the selected unit has no cohesion hits.

Rally UnitGrayed out until you select a routedunit. Click to attempt to rally the unit (seepage 55).

View Unit DetailsShows a selected units ratings,

remaining movement allowance, remaining missilecapability (if applicable), cohesion hits, and routcondition.

Show/Hide Overview MapShows or hides theOverview map.

Hex Grid On/OffShows or hides the black grid

outline.

Reverse ViewRotates map 180 degrees.


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Menus

Game Menu

CloseCloses your current game without exiting the application.

Save (Ctrl+S)If you have previously saved a game with the currentbattle, this updates that saved game file. If you have not yet saved thecurrent game, see Save As below.

Save AsDisplays the Save Game dialog box. To save a game, type adescription of the battle in the Description field. Whatever you type inthe Description field also appears in the File Name field, with .alx fol-lowing the name. You can change the file name if you want. If the nameyou type in the Description field has already been used to save a game,the computer adds a number to the end of the file name. There is a listof previously saved games. If you want to overwrite a previously savedgame, highlight the one you want to use. Click OKto save your game.

NOTE: You can only save a game at the end of a turn, when theGame Overview box is displayed, or when you have a leader active.This is true even when playing the campaign game; it can be savedonly during a battle.

Game OverviewThe Game Overview dialog box shows how yourarmies are faring against the enemy. It displays the current statistics forboth sides and shows how many points are necessary for either army tobe routed (lose). This dialog box also is displayed at the end of everygame turn to show updated statistics for both sides.

Zoom Out/InShows the Landscape View map inthree different zoom levels.

Window StyleVertical, horizontal, or cascadewindow display.


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Army DetailsThe Army Details dialogbox gives you more detailed informa-tion about the leaders and unitsinvolved in the current battle, alongwith the total army rout level, percent-age of army rout, TQ routing, and TQeliminated.

PreferencesThe Preferences dialogbox lets you toggle several features ofthe game:

Movement:Shows units and lead-

ers moving over terrain.Combat: Shows combat fightingbetween units and armies.

Sounds:Plays sounds of battle,movement, trumpets, etc., throughout the game.

Ambient Sounds:Plays background sounds not directly related tobattle.

Sound Volume slider: Changes volume of battle and ambientsounds.

Music:The check box turns the music on or off; the slider changesthe volume.

Finish Leader Dialog:If checked, the Finish Leader dialog boxappears when a leader has given all of his orders.

ExitExits the current battle and the application.

Leader MenuCenter on LeaderCenters the active map on the active leader.

Group MoveMoves a leader and all units under his command information (see page 40).

Finish LeaderEnds a leaders orders phase.

Unit Menu

Center on UnitCenters the active map on the selected unit.

View DetailsThe Unit Details dialog box displays an individualunits statistics.

RallyRallies selected unit (see page 55).

Restore CohesionAttempts to restore cohesion (see page 58) to aunit (03 hits removed).


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Missile VolleyPossible whenthe unit has missile capability.Allows you to fire missiles at theenemy (seepage 48).

Rotate ClockwiseRotates theunit (changes its facing) in thehex. If the unit is double-sized,one half stays in the same hex,the other rotates one hex for-ward in a clockwise motion.

Rotate Counterclockwise

Rotates the unit (changes its facing) in the hex. If the unit is double-sized, one half stays in the same hex, the other rotates one hex forwardin a counterclockwise motion.

About FaceRotates the unit 180 degrees.

Remove Dead UnitsLets you remove dead units from the battlefieldin the Landscape View map. Once you have removed dead units, theycannot be returned.

Map MenuOpen MapOpens a new Landscape View map (see page 34).

Zoom In, Normal,andZoom OutDisplays the Landscape View mapzoomed in three different views.

Reverse ViewRotates map 180 degrees.

Hide OverviewandShow OverviewHides/Shows the Overview mapin the currently active Landscape View map.

Window Menu

Tile Vertical, Tile Horizontal, andCascadeVertical, horizontal, orcascade window display.

Arrange IconsArranges the minimized icons at the bottom of theapplication.

Show/Hide Commentary (Ctrl+C)Toggles the Running Commen-

tary window on and off.Show/Hide Chat (Ctrl+A)Opens the Chat window; deselect to closethe Chat window.

Landscape ViewOffers a choice of the individually numbered land-scape maps.


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Help Menu

AboutGame development information.

About this BattleGives background information for the current bat-

tle scenario.

Victory ConditionsBrings up the normal victory conditions neededto win the current battle.

HelpOpens the online help. The help file contains more detailedinformation about Alexander the Great, additional game hints, a tuto-rial for the battle of Hydaspes in the Quickstart section, and an exten-sive glossary of terms.

Maps

Landscape View M ap

The Landscape View map is the main playing area, from which you give

your orders and watch any ensuing conflict.You can open more than one map of the battle you are playing. Youcan rotate and zoom in and out of these maps to show different areasof the same battlefield. These capabilities give you many differentperspectives of the battle and help you keep an eye on the other lead-ers units.


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Each time a new leader is activated, the map you are using centers onthat leader.

An Overview mapcan be shown or hidden on each of the Landscape

View maps you have opened. You may find you need to move the over-view map to select the hexes that are adjacent to it.

To open a Landscape View map, you can either select theOpen M apbutton or selectOpen Mapfrom theMapmenu. A Landscape View mapopens, centered on the active leader.

Right-clickon the Landscape View map to display a menu from whichyou can:

Center on LeaderCenters the active map on the active leader.

Group MoveMoves a leader and all units under his command information.

Fini sh LeaderFinishes the active leaders turn.

Use the zoom buttonsorMapmenu choices to view the map at threedifferent zoom levels. TheReverse Viewbutton or the Reverse Viewchoice under theMapmenu rotates the screen 180 degrees.

The mouse scrollsthe map. Place your cursor on one of the windows

edges. The cursor changes to a black arrow and the computer automati-cally scrolls in that direction until it reaches the edge of the map oruntil you move the cursor.

You can toggle the hex gridusing theShow/H ide Hex Gridbuttons onthe toolbar.

The range of commandof the active leader is highlighted. When a unitor leader is selected, the display shows a brighter highlight of where itis possible to move that unit or leader.

If the mouse cursor changesto a sword while over an enemy unit, it ispossible to perform shock combat (page 50). When a unit can fire mis-siles (see page 48) at an enemy, and theMissi le Volleybutton has beenclicked, the mouse cursor turns to an arrow, bolt, javelin, or sling (asappropriate) when over the enemy unit.

Overview Map

TheOverview map shows the entire battlefield in asmall scrolled area; the various units are representedby small colored dots.

Clicking or draggingmoves the viewfinder (thesmall highlighted rectangle) over any area on the

Overview map and changes the Landscape View map to this position.


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To open the Overview map,either select theShow/H ide Overviewbut-ton or selectShow/H ide Overviewmenu choice from theMapmenu. TheOverview map is displayed in the top right section of the LandscapeView window. Only one Overview map can be opened for each Land-scape View map.

To move the Overview map,hold down the mouse button on one ofthe scroll handles and drag the map to the preferred position.

Status Bar

The status bar is at the bottom of the screen and is divided into threeparts:

The left scrolldisplays which hex number your cursor is in. If thereis a unit occupying that hex, the following information is also dis-played: the units name, type, class (if appropriate), troop quality(TQ), cohesion hits, size, and, if it has missile capability, type ofmissile, total amount of missiles, how many missiles have been

fired, and missile firing range. For a listing of all unit details seeUnit Details (see page 69).

The middle scrollshows which leader is active, along with his ini-tiative rating and the number of command orders left/total. For afull listing of leader details see Leaders on page 77.

The right scrollshows which unit you have selected, along withsome of the unit information found in the fly by. You can use thisscroll to select a unit, and then compare it against another enemyunits ratings in the fly by.

Running Commentary WindowThe Running Commentary window is dis-played in the bottom right corner. It givesyou instant feedback on game progress.Leave this window open or select Show/

H ide Commentaryfrom theWindowmenu to open and close the Run-ning Commentary window.

To move the Running Commentary window, hold down the mousebutton on the title bar of the window and drag the window to the pre-ferred position.


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Play SequenceElite Initiative

Part of Alexanders greatness was his remarkable ability to move andstrike with a rapidity that often befuddled his opposition. To reflect thisin the game, you, as Alexander, are given three chances to be the firstleader to take an orders phase. Choose this option through the EliteInitiative dialog box. When you are playing the Macedonians, youdecide which of your leaders takes the very first orders phase of thegame. You have two additional occasions throughout the game todecide whether you, as Alexander, want to begin the turn with yourorders phase.

Except when Elite Initiative is used, leaders from both sides are ran-domly chosen by the computer, weighted by their initiative rating. Thehigher the initiative, the better the leaders chance of going first.

NOTE: Chaeronea and Samarkand do not have the Elite Initiativedialog box because Alexander is not the commanding Macedonianleader in those battles.

If the computer is playing the Macedonian leaders, the Elite Initiativedialog box is not displayed.

Sequence

When a leader is activated, he gives orders that allow units within his

command range to move, missile volley, and conduct shock combat.The computer then attempts momentum, which may give him extracommand orders.

When all leaders have been activated and are finished, the game turn isconcluded. The Game Overview window is displayed.


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Game LengthAll battles are fought until one side is routed, or until a certain numberof turns have passed. (Refer to the victory conditions in Battle Scenar-ios & Victory Conditions on page 87.) Historically, most of these bat-tles were over fairly quicklyseveral hours, at most. It was extremelytiring to stand around for half a day, much less fight while wearing 30or more pounds of ill-fitting armor.

Each game turn represents, rather loosely, 1520 minutes of real time.

Game ScaleIn theGreat Batt les of Alexander,army unit size is representative andsymbolic. Each infantryman figure in a unit represents 70100 men.Thus, the 20 figures in the Craterus phalanx unit represent approxi-mately 1,400 men. Each Cavalryman figure in a unit represents 80100men. The six figures in a Persian Bactrian cavalry unit therefore repre-sent about 500 men. Each chariot figure equals six or seven chariots.Each elephant figure is equal to about five elephants. Foot skirmishers(see page 68) are an exception; their sizealways 1reflects not their

numerical strength but their dispersed formation.

The shape of a unit represents its frontage. A Macedonian phalanx bri-gade in full array had a frontage of approximately 130 yards, which iswhy it occupies two hexes. A Macedonian heavy cavalry unit, which isusually composed of two Ilai (or squadrons; the royal squadron ofAgema had 300 men), had a frontage, for its unusual wedge-like forma-tion, of about 50 yards, or one hex.

Each hex is approximately 6070 paces (yards) from side to side. Forplay purposes, some of the simulated rivers are a little wider than theiractual counterparts.

LeadersSeeLeaders on page 77for details about individual leaders.

To center on the active leader in the Landscape View window, selectCenter on Leaderfrom the Leadermenu, or right-click anywhere on thebattle map and selectCenter on Leaderfrom the pop-up menu. The mapcenters on the leader. You can also select the Center Leadericon on thetoolbar (seepage 29).

The leader command rangeis the dim, highlighted area surroundingan active leader. The command range is the greatest distance from a


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leader that a unit can be located and still receive orders. A leadersgroup is represented by the units with raised and waving flags.

Leaders have a nine-point movement allowanceper phase during

their orders phase, although they can still perform an orderly with-drawal before any opposing unit. Each time a leader moves, a separateorder is required.

To move a leader, click on the leader. The leaders movement range ishighlighted. Click the hex to which you want to move the leader. Theleader moves to the new hex. To confirm the placement of the leader,click on him again. A leader can be moved only once per orders phase.

Leaders do not haveor needany facing (see page 46).

Leader Phases

Each leader has three phases: inactive phase, active phase, and finishedphase. All leaders start the turn inactive, and each has the opportunityto become active and issue orders. When a leader becomes active, he iscapable of giving orders to units within his highlighted commandrange. Once a leader has concluded giving orders, his status is changedto finished.

Combat units can move and fight only when ordered to do so by theirleaders. Leaders issue orders in the orders phase. Leaders cannot issueany orders or commands until they are activated. The momentum rule(seepage 42) gives an activated leader up to two additional ordersphases per turn.

Active Phase

Each game turn starts with the computer randomly activating one ofthe leaders. The higher a leaders initiative, the better the leaderschance of going first (see page 37). Only inactive leaders who have notbeen active in that turn are eligible for activation, with the exception ofthe momentum rule.

A leader can be activated a maximum of three times in succession in asingle game turn by using momentum for the last two times.

Ordering UnitsDesign Note:The Macedonian command system was far more sophisti-cated and professional than that of any other army of the era. Thiscapability is reflected by the extended command ranges and betterinitiative rating of many of the Macedonian commanders, combined


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with the fact that the Macedonian army was not so much small ascompact.

A leaders command rangemoves as he moves. Command ranges are

calculated at the instant a leader is activated. A leader can order anyfriendly combat units within his command range.

An orderallows a friendly unit in a leaders group to conduct move-ment, missile volley, shock combat, remove 03 cohesion hits, or rally,as appropriate. Without an order, a unit cannot move. In a given ordersphase, a leader issues a maximum number of orders equal to his initia-tive rating. A unit not in the leaders group but within his commandrange may also be ordered but uses two orders to perform one of the

previously described actions.NOTE: Ordering oxybeles (artillery) to fire missiles does not use anorder.

When a leader has issued all of the orders he wants (or can), select Fin-ish Leader(seepage 42). Units then engage in shock combat in theensuing shock segment. After shock combat has been completed, thatorders phase is finished.

To finish a leaderbefore all orders are given, see Finishing Leaders

on page 42.

A leader can moveif he issues an individual order to himself, but theorder counts against the number of orders he can issue that phase.

A leader who starts an orders phase in an enemy zone of controlcannot issue orders. His command range may still be used to designateunits for shock combat (see page 50).

Leaders never suffer cohesion penalties.

A leader can issue a group movecommand, which takes up all of hisorders, but it allows him to command all units in his groupsimultaneously.

Group Move

A group move is usually performed near the start of the battle to bringthe leader and units into battle sooner. This also allows the leader toretain his units initial formation. A group move does not allow any

unit to move into an enemy units zone of control.

The computer determines a leaders ability to complete a group moveusing his initiative ratingthe higher the rating, the better the leaderschance of successfully completing a group move. There is an outsidechance (10 percent) for even Alexander to fail an initial group move;


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however, Alexander is always able to complete a one-hex group movewith the correct conditions.

For a leader to perform a group move,the following must occur:

1. The leader and all units in his group must be facing the samedirection.

2. All units in the group must currently be in the leaders commandrange.

3. No unit within the leaders group may be within two hexes of anenemy unit.

4. A group move takes all of the leaders individual orders for thatturn, and he is ineligible for momentum. If the leader has alreadyused one or more orders, the group move is not available.

To attempt a group move,follow these steps:

1. When a leader has become active, right-click anywhere on theopen map and selectGroup Movefrom the pop-up menu, or selectGroup Movefrom the Leadermenu. The computer checks theleaders initiative rating, the major factor in determining whetherthe leader passes or fails a group move check. The running

commentary window displays the results.If the leader fails the initial group move check, the computerattempts to pass the leader on a one-hex group move.

2. If the leader passes a group move check, the computer highlightsall available hexes into which the leader can move. Select thehighlighted hex to which you want the leader to move.

The computer allows a group move to travel only as far as the unit withthe smallest movement allowance, and the computer does not high-

light any hexes that would bring a unit within two hexes of an enemyunit. The running commentary window shows whether the leader haspassed a full group move, a one-hex group move, or failed to do either.

NOTE: You cannot attempt a group move if one of your units isunable to move forward; for example, if the unit is two hexes awayfrom an enemy unit.

If a leader fails both group move checks, he is finished and is ineligiblefor momentum. If the leader attempts a group move with his next turn,the chances of passing are improved by 20 percent. If the leader fails asecond attempt, he is guaranteed a group move on his third attempt.


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Momentum

At the conclusion of the orders phase, the computer makes a momen-tum check for the currently active leader. If he passes, he undertakes

another order phase. If he fails, he is finished. The higher a leaders ini-tiative, the greater the chance for achieving momentum.

The percentages used to calculate momentumare as follows:

First momentum check:

(leader initiative +1) x 8 =percent chance of getting a secondorders phase

Second momentum check:

(leader initiative +1) x 5 =percent chance of getting a third ordersphase

For example:Alexander (initiative of 7) has a 64 percent chance of get-ting momentum for a second orders phase and a 40 percent chance ofgetting momentum for a third orders phase.

After a leaders third orders phase in a turn, he is automaticallyfinished. Momentum applies only to a leader who has just completedan orders phase. A leader who was finished several phases ago does not

attempt momentum.

A unit with a dark gray flagindicates a unit that was ordered in a pre-vious orders phase during this turn. If the unit is ordered to move ormissile volley, it takes a cohesion hit (see Cohesion on page 58). Aunit cannot be ordered more than once per orders phase.

When all leaders are finished,the computer proceeds to the rout andmovement phase (seeUnit Rout & Rally on page 55).

Finishing Leaders

Finishing a leader ends his orders phase and resolves any combat situa-tions. When a leader attempts momentum and passes the momentumcheck, the leader receives another orders phase. If he fails, he is fin-ished, and the next leader is activated.

To finish a leader,selectFini sh Leaderfrom theLeadermenu, right-clickon the Landscape View map and select Fini sh Leaderfrom the pop-up

menu, or click the Fini sh Leaderbutton. After any combat is resolved,the computer automatically attempts to gain momentum for its lead-ers. A finished leader cannot undertake any further orders phases thisgame turn.


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Wounding or Killing a Leader

It is possible to perform missile volley against a leader. There is a 15percent chance of his being hit. If the leader is involved in missile vol-

ley, the computer determines the outcome, based on the followingpercentages:

Alexander and Darius:

40 percent chance that the leader is startled (if they have not yetgiven orders, they do not have a chance this turn).

45 percent chance that the leader is wounded (first time wounded,second time leader is killed).

15 percent chance that the leader is killed and replaced with ageneric, lower-rated leader.

All other leaders:

25 percent chance that the leader is startled (if they have not yetgiven orders, they do not have a chance this turn).

45 percent chance that the leader is wounded (first time wounded,second time leader is killed).

30 percent chance that the leader is killed and replaced with ageneric, lower-rated leader.

Replacement leaders are denoted by an (R) following the name of theleader they have replaced.

Leaders automatically perform an orderly withdrawal (see page 46) ifgiven the opportunity, and there is a five percent chance of beinginjured from an orderly withdrawal. The computer determines theresults, based on the same percentages used above in missile volley.

A leader is never involved in shock combat. Therefore, if a leader is sur-rounded by enemy units, backed by enemy units, and so forth, he stillperforms an orderly withdrawal; however, the computer performs anorderly withdrawal check for every hex he must move into or through,until he is away from a combat threat. Obviously, the more hexes hemust travel through, the greater his chance to be finished, wounded, orkilled.


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UnitsRefer to Units on page 69for individual unit information.

Moving Units

Leaders can move their own group units within their command range.The leader and units that raise their nations flag when the leader isactivated are in the same group. It costs the leader one of his orders tomove a unit in his group. Leaders can move friendly units within theircommand range that are not in their group, but it costs them twoorders per unit to do so.

A units movement allowanceis the maximum a unit can move in aphase. A unit can move only into forward hexes, unless performing anorderly withdrawal.

To move a unit, click on the unit. The units movement range is dis-played as a number of highlighted hexes. Click on the hex to which youwant to move the unit. The unit moves to the hex that you have desig-nated. When a unit moves adjacent to an enemy unit, the enemy unitmay have the opportunity to perform a missile volley and/or orderly

withdrawal, if applicable.When moving a unit from its starting hex to a destination hex, thecomputer does not take cohesion hits into consideration when choos-ing a route. This may result in the unit taking unnecessary cohesionhits by, for example, moving up a level and down again, or, in the caseof cavalry, moving adjacent to elephants. To avoid these cohesion hitsmove the unit in increments, avoiding the danger zones.

A unit can rotate as part of its movement allowance (see page 47).

If a unit has missile capability,it can move using part of its movementallowance, fire at the enemy, then use the remainder of its movementallowance by moving again; or fire at the enemy, then move its fullmovement allowance; or move its full movement allowance, then fireat the enemy.

NOTE: Oxybeles (artillery) do not use up an order (although onemust be available) to use their missile capability. They do, however,use an order to move (two if they are not ordered by their own leader).

When you click on an enemy unitwithin range of your selected unitto designate shock combat, the unit moves adjacent to the enemy unitand shock combat commences at the end of the leaders turn, assumingthat the enemy does not perform an orderly withdrawal.


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Once a unit has completed all the movement and missile volley thatyou want it to, assign shock combat by clicking on an enemy unit ordeselect the unit by clicking on it again. Selecting another friendly unitwill also deselect the current unit.

NOTE: Once you deselect a unit or assign it to perform shockcombat, you cannot select it again that turn. Shock combat must beassigned while the unit is selected.

NOTE: When a leader is successful in gaining momentum, the flagcolor of the units that were ordered in the last orders phase change todark gray. If a unit is moved or ordered to missile volley again, it takesa cohesion hit. The dark gray flag also flies if a unit has been

previously attacked during that game turn.

Reaction Fire

Missile units can volley in reaction to enemy movements into and outof their zones of control.

Entry reaction:Whenever a friendly unit enters the zone of control ofan enemy missile-capable unit, that missile unit fires a volley at theentering unit (range is one hex) before any further movement or the

moving units missile fire occurs. Effects from this missile combat occurimmediately.

When a unit moves adjacent to a defending units flank, the defendingunit may reface and perform reaction fire. When a unit moves adjacentto a defending units rear, it may temporarily reface, perform reactionfire, and return to its original facing.

This reaction refacing is dependent on a number of factors, includingunit type, distance moved by the enemy unit, and the defending unitsTQ. In general, light infantry, lancers, skirmishers, and light cavalryhave a better chance of refacing than do heavy infantry, heavy cavalry,and medium infantry. In the right situation, however, all units (exceptchariots, elephants, and double-sized units) can reface whenapproached by an enemy.

Reaction fire requires that the missile units have sufficient missilesavailable to volley. A unit can perform reaction fire any number oftimes during enemy movement if it still has missiles.

Exception:Rampaging elephants and routed units do not draw reactionfire.


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Orderly Withdrawal

During an enemy movement segment, cavalry approached by a non-cavalry unit and leaders approached by any enemy unit can perform an

orderly withdrawal. Skirmishers can also perform orderly withdrawalbut only when confronted by heavy infantry units.

When an enemy units movement brings it adjacent to one of yourunits capable of orderly withdrawal, your unit undergoes a TQ check. Ifthe unit passes the TQ check, it performs an orderly withdrawal, mov-ing up to two hexes away from the enemy unit. If it fails the TQ check,the unit stays in the hex and may have to engage in shock combat.

The withdrawing unit maintains its original facingthroughout with-

drawal with no facing change cost in cohesion hits. However, the unitdoes pay any of the usual cohesion penalties for movement.

When the withdrawing unit is approached from a rear or flankhex,it suffers a one-point cohesion penalty before withdrawing.

Exception:The penalty applies to skirmishers only when approachedfrom the rearnot from their flank.

Historical/Play Note:Orderly withdrawal is a retreat in the face of an

approaching enemy, long before that enemy can close in. Therefore, thewithdrawing unit can return to the original facing it had before theenemy approached with minimum cohesion cost.

A unit can be withdrawn an unlimited number of times during a gameturn. The penalties are cumulative, but no movement points areexpended, and no orders are needed.

When a withdrawing unit reaches its TQ rating in cohesion hits, itrouts. A unit cannot withdraw into an enemy zone of control or into

rough hexes.Exception:Orderly withdrawal of calvary in the face of rampaging ele-phants can take place at any time.

Facing

All units (except leaders,who have no facing) faceinto the vertex (corner) ofthe hex. The two hexes tothe front (three for double-sized units) are called thefrontal hexes; those to the


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side are called the flanks; and those behind, the rear. A unit can moveinto a hex in front of it.

For a single-hex unit to change its facing, it must rotate within its hex. It

costs one movement point for each vertex shifted.Exception:Elephants, chariots, and cataphract (protected with scalearmor) heavy cavalry (HC) pay two movement points (MPs) per vertexto change facing.

Double-sized unitschange facing by pivoting (see page 48).

Although changing facing is movement,any such change in roughterrain does not incur a cohesion penalty.

A unit can only missile volley on and engage in shock combat with anopponent they are facing.

Chariots were truly unwieldyin terms of maneuver, mostly becausethey operated with fixed axles. Therefore, they take two cohesion hitsper vertex change.

Rotate Units

Units can change the direction they are facing by rotating. If a unit is

double-sized, one half stays in the same hex, while the other halfmoves into a new hex, changing the units facing (see Pivoting onpage 48).

To rotate a unit,select the unit you want to rotate by clicking on it. Theunits current movement range is highlighted. SelectRotate ClockwiseorRotate Counterclockwise from theUnitmenu, or click theRotate ClockwiseorRotate Counterclockwisebuttons (see page 29). The units new move-ment range is highlighted. You can now move the unit.

Double-Sized Units

H istorical and Design Note:The double-sized units reflect formation andtactical use of a phalanx, although not all double-sized units are pha-lanxes. Their better ratings and increased capabilities reflect the Mace-donian phalanx system at its height, as well as the high levels oftraining and professionalism in the Macedonian army.

There are three types of double-sized units:

Macedonian heavy infantry phalanxes

Hoplite heavy infantry (usually Greeks)

Cardaces light infantry peltasts


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Double-sized units have the following special rules,most of whichapply only to phalanxes:

Basic movement premises:When a double-sized unit moves and

enters two hexes of different terrain/elevation, it expends the ter-rain costs of the left-hand hex. This is true both for movement andcohesion penalties.

Pivoting:A double-sized unit can either go forward with bothhalves of the unit entering new hexes, or one half of the unit canenter a hex while the other half pivots in the space it occupies (inessence changing the facing of the unit). Accomplish this move-ment by selectingRotate ClockwiseorRotate Counterclockwisefrom

theUnitmenu or the rotate buttons on the toolbar. The about-face maneuver:At a cost of three movement points, a

double-sized unit can be re-faced in the opposite direction (180degrees) in the same two hexes. There is no cohesion penalty forthis maneuver, and it can be performed at any time, even whenpart of the unit is in an enemy zone of control or in rough terrain.

Missile Volley

Units with missile capability can use missile volley. There are four typesof missile units: archers (A), slingers (S), javelinists (J), and oxybeles(O).

A missile unit can volleyat any time before, during, or after forwardmovement. However, each unit can volley only once during a leadersorders phase.

Missile fire can occuras an order, as reaction fire, or during orderlywithdrawal (mounted archers only). A missile unit can volley at anysingle target unit that is within its missile range. Missile units fireindividually.

A unit fires reaction fireany number of times during an enemy orderphase as long as it has missiles remaining.

The further away a target is, the less likely it is that the missiles will hit.

All leaders can be wounded,and even killed. Killed leaders are imme-diately removed from play and are replaced by the computer with

lower-rated generic leaders (see page 43).Missile rangeextends from the units frontal hexes.


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The following missile volley adjustments apply:

When the target unit is chariots or elephants, those units take twocohesion hits for every successful missile volley.

All combat effects from missile volley are immediate and occurbefore any other unit is moved.

Missile supply:Missile units can keep firing until they run out of mis-siles. Each missile type has its own availability levels:

Javelinists start each battle with three missiles.

Oxybeles (artillery) start with 99 missiles.

Slingers and archers start each battle with ten missiles.

Replenishment of missilesoccurs at the beginning of each leadersactivation. The computer attempts to replenish missiles for any of theunits in the leaders group and command range that are out of missiles.

For each replenishment attempt, a random number of missilesup tohalf the units original missile supply (rounded up)are added to thatunit.

NOTE: This can result in a unit replenishing zero missiles.

A unit that has replenished its missiles cannot be ordered again duringthat orders phase.

Engaging Units in Shock Combat

The main reason for engaging a unit in battle is to inflict enough cohe-sion hits on the enemy to rout them. This weakens the opponent andmakes it easier to reach the overall objective of winning the battle.

Units cannot move or fire missileswithout getting an order from a

leader. The units that receive such orders during a phase or that arewithin range of that same leader can engage in shock combat. Suchunits must be assigned shock combat at the time they are orderedyoucannot come back to them later to assign shock combat. After theleader uses all orders, any unordered units within range can be orderedinto shock combat, if applicable.

There are two kinds of combat:missile volley and shock combat. Mis-sile volley occurs as part of (or instead of) movement at any point dur-

ing the movement/missile segment of an orders phase. Shock combatcomes in its own segmentat the conclusion of the order phase, afterall orders have been issued and movement is completed. A missile unitcan participate in both types of combat during the same order phase.In shock combat, the unit size and the TQ are taken into account. The


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Designating Shock Combat

1. Everyone in an attacking units zone of control must be attacked.

2. Everyone that is being attacked must be in the attackers zone of

control.

When you move a unit next to the enemy unit that you want to attackand click on that unit to designate shock, the enemy unit you clickedon becomes yourprimarytarget. This is due to rule #1. If there isanotherenemy unit in your zone of control, it also becomes part of the battle;that is, multiple battle arrows appear. This is also due to rule #1.

At this point, if you bring another unit into the same battle, you cannotdesignate shock on your first units primary target. This is due to rule#2. However, you can designate shock on either of the remainingenemy units.

If you click on the other enemy unit, the battle arrow from your firstunit will disappear and a new arrow will appear from your second unit.

All combat units can perform a shock attack, except skirmishers. How-ever, the two Macedonian skirmisher units, Agrianian 1 andAgrianian 2, can engage in shock combat. See Units on page 69for a

complete listing of all units.Units that attack by shock must attack all units in their zone of control,unless the defending unit is already being attacked by another unit inthat shock segment.

Shock combat occursat the end of a leaders order phase. When theleader has issued all possible orders, designated shock combat whereappropriate, and selected Fini sh Leader,then shock combat occurs. Allshock initiated by that leader is resolved before momentum is

attempted or the next leader becomes active.The following restrictions apply:

A friendly unit can attack more than one unit, as long as the tar-geted defenders are all in the attacking units zone of control.

An attacking unit (even a two-hex unit) cannot split its attack capa-bilities, although two (or more) units can combine their attacks onone defender.

If more than one unit is defending or attacking, the units sizes aretotaled for combat resolution purposes.

Combat Sequence and Procedure:Designate units for shock combat.All combat calculations are performed by the computer.


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TQ Check before Shock Combat

When moved and designated for shock combat, the following units gothrough a TQ check to see how well they have kept formation: heavy

infantry, medium infantry, phalanxes, lancers, elephants, and chariots.The units that are being attacked also go through a TQ check.

Exceptions:

Attacking units that have not moved but are designated for shockand the units they are attacking.

Units in shock combat with routed units.

All non-skirmisher units engaging in shock combat against skir-

misher (SK) units. Phalanxes (PH) and heavy infantry (HI) that are attacked frontally

by light infantry (LI).

TQ Check

A TQ check is performed by the computer choosing a random numberfrom 09, with the following possible results:

1. If the number the computer selected is higher than a units TQ, ittakes a number of cohesion hits equal to the difference betweenthe number and the units TQ.

2. If the defender has taken sufficient cohesion penalties to be equalto or greater than its TQ rating, it immediately routs. Theattacking unit advances into the vacated hex, if it has no otherenemy units in its zone of control and it can physically do so(double-sized units may not be able to do so). If such an advancewould cause the attacker to earn a cohesion point that wouldcause it to rout (equal to or greater than its TQ), it does so (seeUnit Rout & Rally on page 55).

3. If the attacker has routed from its TQ check, the defender staysput (if unrouted).

4. If both units would rout from their TQ checks, they do so (seeUnit Rout & Rally on page 55).

Combat Adjustm ent

The computer determines under which shock combat conditions thebattle occurs, prior to any adjustments (see theInitial Clash of Spearson page 82). If there is more than one type of defending unit, the com-puter chooses which defender type is used for determination.


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When the attacker is attacking with more than one unit, and suchattack is coming from more than one angle, the computer chooses theangle of attack most advantageous to the attacker.

Determine superiority:There are two factors influencing superiority: PositionOne sides angle/position of attack is from the flank or

rear.

SystemThe weapons system and armor/protection of one side issuperior to the other.

The computer determines which side has the advantage by comparingthe position and systems of the attacking unit with the defending unitand determining from there whether the attacker is superior or whether

the defender is superior. The computer determines superiority usinginformation shown in Shock Superiority on page 81. In manyinstances, there is no superiority.

Conditions for superiorityare determined as follows:

When a friendly unit is attacking an enemy through its flank orrear, it is considered attack superior to the defender. With the sameunit used to determine this superiority, the computer determinesthe shock combat value shown in the column in Initial Clash ofSpears on page 82.

Exceptions:

Attacking skirmishers through their flanks does not producesuperiority.

Cavalry versus elephants (seepage 64).

Skirmishers attacking along with other unit types are neverused to determine position or weapons superiority (see

page 67and page 68).

An attacking unit cannot gain superiority if it is in the zone ofcontrol of any enemy unit (excluding skirmishers) other thanthe one it is attacking and if that enemy unit is not beingattacked by a another friendly unit.

When no superiority is attained from the relative positions of theunits, the computer checks the weapon class relationship to deter-mine whether either weapon system is superior to the other. Thecomputer determines this using the information shown in the Ini-tial Clash of Spearstable on page 83.

Exception:Javelin-armed light infantry and light peltasts that areout of missiles are not defense superior against attacking heavycavalry or light cavalry.


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Determination of size ratio difference:Compare the total size pointsof the attacking units to those of the defenders. For each level of sizeratio difference greater than 1:1 that a unit has, it gets a shock resultstable column adjustment of 1 in its favorthe attacker adjusts to theright, the defender to the left.

Rounding is determined as follows:

When any attacker moves to initiate shock combat, the odds arerounded off in favor of the attacker. Therefore, a 5 size unit attack-ing a 4 size unit generates 2:1 odds; a 4 unit attacking a 5 generates1:1; and a 2 unit attacking a 5 generates 1:2.

When no attacker moves, the odds are rounded off in favor of the

defender. Therefore, a 5 size unit attacking a 4 size unit would be1:1, but a 4 unit attacking 5 unit has 1:2 odds.

Exception:When shock combat involves either elephants or chari-ots against another force, size is not taken into considerationthere is no size ratio difference (SRD).

Adjustment of columns:Shock combat is resolved by determining thebase column in the Shock Combat Resultstable and adjusting for sizeratio difference and terrain (see page 84). The computer generates a

random number from 09.

Combat resolution:The results from the table in Shock CombatResults on page 85are distributed as cohesion hits for both attackerand defender. The number in parentheses is for the defender.

When the attacker is superior (AS), the defenders result is doubled.When the defender

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Great Battles of Alexander - Manual